


A Serendipitous Dinner Party

by Vanilla_Lips



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Haikyuu - Freeform, M/M, Oneshot, no idea what else there is to say about this, umm there's ramen???, yakulev - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25505656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanilla_Lips/pseuds/Vanilla_Lips
Summary: Yaku was on his third lap of the store and was yet to find his packaged dinner. To say he was impatient would be an understatement. He scanned the shelves, squinting at the packages in his exhaustion as he rounded the corner into the next aisle and walked into someone's chest. He stumbled back with a grunt."I'm so sorry–" He paused as he looked up. "Lev?""Yaku-san?" The two of them stared at each other for a moment, startled to see each other outside of practice. A voiced piped up beside Lev."Lyovochka who's this?"---Alternatively,All Yaku wanted was to purchase his ramen, but Alisa Haiba seemed to have other plans. Lev was mortified. But as the the night went on, Yaku began to realise that the tall first year may not have been as intolerable as he first thought.
Relationships: Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke
Comments: 10
Kudos: 234





	A Serendipitous Dinner Party

**Author's Note:**

> This was a little short story I wrote up and wanted to post somewhere. It's also my first every serious attempt at writing fan fiction, surprisingly. Not something I usually do but hey, when you're as unmotivated as I am with writing you lower your standards and take what your brain dishes out to you.
> 
> Nevertheless I hope you enjoy!

It was typical for Yaku's parents to go out abruptly and leave him without any plans for dinner. So there he was, 7pm on a Friday night buying packaged Ramen. He had already decided what he was going to do when he got home. Heat up his ramen, get in his pyjamas, and eat it on his bed before passing out. A perfect, lazy end to a very stressful and tiring week. At least it would be, if Yaku could find where his damn ramen was. Yaku was on his third lap of the store and was yet to find his packaged dinner. To say he was impatient would be an understatement. He scanned the shelves, squinting at the packages in his exhaustion as he rounded the corner into the next aisle and walked into someone's chest. He stumbled back with a grunt. 

"I'm so sorry–" He paused as he looked up. "Lev?"

"Yaku-san?" The two of them stared at each other for a moment, startled to see each other outside of practice. A voiced piped up beside Lev.

"Lyovochka who's this?" The woman was tall, standing at shoulder height to Lev, with long silver-blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Very obviously his relative, she looked to be about a year or two older than Yaku.

"Oh, um... This is Yaku-san." Lev replied, glancing back and fourth between the two nervously. Unlike Yaku, he had changed out of his practice clothes, sporting jeans and a casual shirt. 

"Is he one of your friends from school?" She asked, eyeing the red Nekoma jacket tied around his waist. She had a bit of an accent, he noticed.

"He's one of my teammates, from volleyball." The woman turned to him, flashing perfect white teeth.

"It's lovely to meet you Yaku-san. I'm Alisa Haiba, Lyovochka's older sister." She bowed politely, clasping her hands by her designer skirt. She had an expensive fashion taste, to say the least. 

"Nice to meet you too," He replied, feeling a little awkward. The last thing he wanted right now was to be sucked into a conversation with Lev and his sister, but it didn't seem that he would be able to get away anytime soon. Looking him up and down, Alisa gave Yaku a puzzled look. 

"You're a little short for the volleyball team though, aren't you? No matter! You still have some growing to do. Tell me, are you in any of Lev's classes?" Yaku tensed up, and it took all of his willpower not to show the annoyance on his face as he realised she had just mistaken him for a first year. He dragged his eyes to Lev, ready for his laugher, but was surprised to find him panicked. 

"Alisa no Yaku-san is a third year! And he's a libero so he's meant to be short! He's one of the best players on the team." She laughed at her mistake.

"I apologise Yaku-san, I'm not very knowledgeable about volleyball." She smiled at him, and he concluded that Alisa had the same air-headed nature as her brother, though less annoying.

"It's fine." He replied, "It happens all the time." 

"Say, what are you doing at the grocery store so late?" She asked. This was the perfect opportunity to get away from the two of them. 

"My parents are out tonight, so I was just buying some things for dinner. Speaking of–" But she cut him off. 

"Why don't you come over to ours for dinner!" Lev's eyes widened. "Lev and I are also eating alone tonight and we would love the company." Lev tried to stammer something out, but he couldn't find the words.

"No! Uh, thank you, but that's fine, I wouldn't want to intrude." Yaku couldn't imagine anything more awkward than spending dinner with the two of them.

"Nonsense!" She continued "We're going to be making this large stew and there's no way for us to finish it on our own. It would be a delight to have you over." Alisa smiled at him expectantly, her perfect teeth gleaming, and Yaku realised there was no way for him to refuse politely. Lev looked like he wanted to crawl up into a hole and die. His expression would have amused him if it wasn't such an uncomfortable situation. He smiled shakily.

"Sure thing, thank you." Alisa clapped her hands together. 

"Excellent! Let us gather the rest of the ingredients." Lev was momentarily stunned, likely not expecting Yaku to accept the offer.

She grabbed Lev by the arm and tugged him forward, snapping him out of his daze, before walking on ahead. The two were left to follow behind awkwardly. 

Lev leaned down, speaking to him for the first time since their initial collision. 

"I am so sorry." He whispered. Yaku sighed and squared his features, trying not to look annoyed.

"It's fine, not like I had anything else on tonight." He was quiet for a moment, before adding "This better be a good stew."

\---

Yaku followed the two Haibas as they made their way around the store, gathering various ingredients before making their way towards the checkout. 

"Could you boys carrying the bags for me? I need to make a phone call." Alisa said, before leading the way out of the store. Yaku gazed wistfully at the display of ramen they passed on the way out, cursing himself for missing it, before reluctantly following. Alisa was talking loudly in Russian to someone on the phone, and much to his annoyance, Yaku was struggling to keep up with the two's long strides. Damn his short legs. 

"Lev." He called, and the aforementioned Russian turned his head questionably. Seeing him lagging behind, Lev slowed his pace sheepishly. 

"Our house is just around the corner." He said. "I'm sorry if we're going out of your way." Yaku shrugged. It was a mild night, warm with a slight breeze that brushed through Lev's silver locks.

"It's fine. It's not that far from my house." They were silent for a moment. Up ahead, Alisa was still droning on. 

"I thought you said you couldn't speak Russian." Yaku commented. Lev quirked his head in confusion.

"Huh? I can't." He gestured to Lev's sister. "Oh, I have no idea what she's saying. Alisa is working abroad in Russia, and she was always interested in learning the language, while I wasn't really bothered."

"You didn't learn from your parents?"

"Ah well, my father is Russian, and he's not around anymore, so..." Lev trailed off. 

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yaku said, fiddling with the shopping bags uncomfortably.

"No! It's fine! It's not a sensitive subject or anything." The two fell into an awkward silence. 

\---

Shortly, they arrived at Lev and Alisa's house. 

The Haiba house was smaller than Yaku expected, though cozy. The downstairs area was an open-plan, encompassing the kitchen, dining room and living room in the large space. Adorning the walls were various framed photographs of the two siblings and their mother, as well as a few paintings. Yaku couldn't help pausing at one of the frames, a photograph of Lev when he was younger, probably in elementary school. Small, but noticeably lanky for someone his age, he was grinning widely with the child-like innocence he still carried with him. He was standing next to his sister and a woman Yaku assumed to be their mother. She was noticeably Japanese, with black hair and tanner skin. You couldn't tell they were related, aside from the toothy smile they all shared. Lev and his sister had obviously taken more after their European father. The photo made something inside Yaku soften, they seemed so happy.

Shoving that thought into the back of his mind, he followed the two over to the kitchen island and rested the bags on the countertop, beginning to unpack the groceries. Looking at all the ingredients laid out on the counter, Yaku thought they weren't kidding about it being a large stew. 

"Oh dear!" Alisa cried suddenly. He and Lev shared a concerned look.

"Is everything alright?" Yaku asked. She shook her head, long hair flowing with the motion. 

"We forgot the fondant for the cake tomorrow." She said to Lev.

"Oh dammit. What should we do?" Alisa grabbed her purse from the counter. 

"I'll run back to the store before it closes, Lyovochka, you start on dinner for when I get back." She was already out the door before he could reply. 

The two boys stared at each other awkwardly again, before Yaku broke the silence. 

"Well, I'll help you cook then." And Lev simply nodded. "So what are we making?"

"Solyanka." He was met with a blank stare. Lev elaborated, "It's like, a sweet and sour beef stew."

"Alright, so where do we start?" 

Lev instructed him to set up a pot on the stove and fry the bacon and beef, whilst he begun chopping up the vegetables. Leaning against the countertop, Yaku watched as Lev expertly sliced through the carrots, before moving onto the onions, cutting them quickly and precisely. He was surprised at how apt he was at it, considering his clumsy nature. 

"Do you do a lot of the cooking in your household?" Yaku found himself asking. He had to force himself to stop watching Lev's long fingers work and concentrate on the pot. Lev hummed.

"Yeah. My parents work late so I generally make dinner for us. My sister is home for the next few weeks though, so I'll have her home helping me out."

"That's really cool. The–uh, cooking part." he paused for a moment "Honestly, I was planning on just making packaged ramen tonight."

"Ramen! That's not very nutritious Yaku-san." He teased, smiling to himself but not taking his eyes off the cutting board. "Good thing you're eating here tonight, this stew's full of healthy-goodness. It'll help you grow big and tall!"

"What exactly are you implying, Lev?" Yaku narrowed his eyes. Lev glanced up at him and squeaked in fear, which caused Yaku to laugh. 

"I'm kidding." The tall boy sighs in relief. Slicing up the last clove of garlic, he was finished with the vegetables.

"What's next?" 

"How's the meat coming along?" Lev came over to inspect the pan. "Looking good! We need to add the vegetables next. Would you mind grabbing the paprika and the pepper? They're in the cupboard over there."

"Sure." Yaku opened the pantry and scanned the shelves. "Where is it?"

"Should be in there." Lev says absentmindedly, focusing on pouring in and stirring the vegetables. Yaku looked over the assortment of spices, herbs and condiments again, before spotting the paprika and pepper. 

On the top shelf. 

He let out a sigh, remembering who's house he was currently in, before shifting to balance on his toes. His fingers barely grazed the edge of the shelf. He grunted, stretching his arm as far as he could, to no avail. Lev must have noticed him.

"Oh, sorry." He heard Lev walk over and before he could even process it, the tall first year was reaching over him. His chest brushed against his back and Yaku's breath hitched in his throat. He could feel Lev's breath on the top of his head, the heat radiating off of him, before the contact was gone as soon as it came, and Lev was back standing over the stove. Yaku stood stunned for a moment, his heartbeat heavy in his ears. What the hell was that?

Yaku shook himself out of it, closing the pantry door and leaning against the cupboards. He watched Lev stir the pot, humming with the little half smile he had permanently plastered to his face. He looked more natural like this, more comfortable and relaxed compared to how he was on the court. He was quieter as well, Yaku reflected, which was nice. Maybe the overzealous underclassmen wasn't as irritating as he previously thought. 

Lev looked over to him and smiled eagerly, motioning him over.

"It's starting to smell really good!" Yaku leaned over the pot, taking a tentative sniff. He sighed in satisfaction, the stew giving off a heavy and delicious aroma. 

"It smells amazing." He replied, and Lev seemed to smile even wider at that. 

"Now we just need to stir it a bit more and leave it to simmer, then it'll be ready." He announced cheerfully. 

From across the room, the door clicked open and Alisa walked through. 

"Smells good!" She called out.

"Alisa! You were gone a while." She dropped her purse on the island counter, along with a packet of fondant. 

"They were out so I had to run to a different store. Crisis averted." She smiled at Yaku. "Yaku-san, I hope Lyovochka has been a good host and hasn't annoyed you too much."

"Alisa!" He whined in response. Yaku laughed.

"He's been... tolerable." The comment caused her to laugh, and Lev just pouted in response. 

"Well, anyway, dinner seems to be coming along nicely. I have a few things I need to get done, I'll leave you boys to it." She turned and disappeared up the stairs. 

Yaku turned back to Lev to see him already out of his sour mood, shuffling around and retrieving the cutlery and a tablecloth.

"I'll set the table, can you mind the pot?" Yaku humed in response, though as Lev walked into the dining room, he found himself watching him again. He lifted the tablecloth onto the table and smoothed it out gently with his hands, the motion oddly tender. The warm feeling from earlier sprung up in Yaku's chest. There was something strangely endearing about watching Lev being so domestic. 

He watched Lev go back and fourth between the kitchen and the table a few times, attentive of the way he moved and how he organised the cutlery and plates delicately. 

"I almost forgot about the bread." He said, entering the kitchen again. He begun slicing up a large loaf of sourdough. 

"You and your sister seem to get along well." Yaku said softly. He wasn't sure where the comment came from, maybe he was just searching for something to say. 

"Yeah, Alisa and I have always been close, though she likes treating me like I'm still her little baby brother." He chuckled to himself. Yaku nudged him, the gesture abnormally gentle. 

"What are you talking about? You are a little baby."

"Am not."

"Are too, little first year."

"Little third year." He retorted, and Yaku leaned over and kicked him in the shin. He groaned, before straightening up. "Anyway, do you have any siblings, Yaku-san?"

"No, I'm an only child." He found himself looking at the family portraits again, the happy faces smiling back. "... it's lonely, sometimes." Yaku's eyes widened a fraction, he didn't know what compelled him to say that. 

"A-anyway, how long until the stew is ready?" Lev leaned to check the oven clock. 

"It's ready now! Could you go get Alisa while I serve up?" Yaku voiced his agreement and made his way over to the stairs. He paused, debating whether to find her or simply call out from the stairwell. He chose the latter option.

"Alisa!" He called. After a few moments, a door opened upstairs. 

"Dinner?"

"Yeah."

"On my way!"

Yaku made his made to the dining table, where Lev was carefully placing the pot. 

"Where do you want me to sit?" Yaku asked. Lev plucked the oven mitts off his hands. 

"Just there's fine."

"That smells delicious, I can't wait!" Alisa smiled, sitting down across from him and next to Lev. "You've outdone yourself this time Lyovochka!" She ruffled his hair and he grinned. Yaku found himself smiling at the interaction. 

"Yaku-san helped too!" Lev said cheerfully. 

"I didn't do much..." He was feeling timid all of a sudden.

"Thank you for your help Yaku-san. Well, let's begin shall we?" The three clasped their hands together, expressing gratitude for the meal, before they began to serve the stew. The two Haiba siblings insisted that Yaku served himself first, much to his disagreement. The stew was thick and steaming as Yaku rose his spoon to his mouth. He was vaguely aware of the two watching him, waiting for his reaction. 

As he slipped the spoonful in his mouth, the taste overwhelmed his senses. The stew was creamy and warm, with a sweet flavour to the beef and a subtle, sour aftertaste. He couldn't stop the soft moan that swelled in his throat, his eyes fluttering closed in a moment of ecstasy. 

"I think... that's the best thing I've eaten all year." He exhaled. 

"I-I'm glad you liked it." Lev rubbed the back of his neck, a tint of colour appearing on his face. Yaku had never seen him bashful before. 

"Solyanaka is Lyovochka's specialty!" Alisa chirped. "It's his favourite as well." Lev grinned quietly to himself. Alisa grabbed the plate of sourdough and held it out to Yaku. 

"Try it with some bread!" Yaku did, and the sourdough added a thick foundation to the flavour of the stew. The three enjoyed their meal quietly for a few minutes, before Yaku spoke up.

"So, Alisa-san, Lev mentioned that you work abroad?" She nodded, swallowing. 

"In Russia, though I'm home for a few weeks taking time off."

"What's your occupation?" He asked. 

"She's a model!" Lev butted in proudly, and she grinned bashfully. Yaku's eyes widened.

"Really?" Looking her over again, it wasn't really that surprising. She had a sharp but soft face, and an overall elegant demeanour. "That explains why you're so pretty." The words slipped out on their own, and he tensed up. 

"U-um, that's not, I mean–" He stammered, but Alisa laughed. 

"It's okay, I know what you're trying to say." He fiddled with his spoon nervously, trying to ignore the heat in his face. He didn't mean for that to come out so flirtatiously. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about it, but Yaku didn't find himself attracted to her. Looking up from his plate he found Lev pouting at his sister, almost as if he was jealous of the complement. 

"So you and Lyovochka are on the same volleyball team Yaku-san?" Alisa inquired, changing the subject. "I hope he doesn't cause you and the rest of the team too much trouble." 

"Oh you have no idea." Lev gasped at the comment. Yaku grinned devilishly at him, before crossing his arms in an authoritative manner. "Lev is competent in his spiking and blocking, but he's terrible at receiving. I always have to hold him back after club activities for extra practice." Alisa's face lit up with recognition. 

"Oh, so you're the third year Lyovochka is always gushing about!" Lev squeaked.

"Alisa!"

"Whenever I call he's always talking about his 'cute little upperclassmen' who helps him practice."

"Alisa stop talking!" She giggled. 

"I'm glad I finally get to meet the person Lyovochka admires so much." Lev shoved his face in his hands, attempting to cover his blushing face. Yaku burst out laughing. 

"Why would you say that." Lev whined into his palms. His sister rubbed his back unapologetically. Yaku's stomach hurt from laughter, and he wiped at the corner of his eyes. 

"That's sweet." 

Yaku kicked him gently under the table to get his attention. Lev peaked out from behind his fingers, and Yaku gave him a grin that said I'm not going to let you forget this. The message was received and Lev groaned and covered his face once more. 

\---

The rest of the dinner went along pleasantly, with Yaku and Alisa exchanging embarrassing stories of Lev. Despite his mortification, he seemed to be enjoying himself as well. Yaku ate until he couldn't stomach another bite, and the two siblings insisted on him taking home the leftovers. Their generosity was really something else. After a few minutes of sitting after the meal, Alisa stood. 

"I'll start cleaning up." 

"I'll help you." Yaku offered, but she motioned for him to stay seated. 

"Nonsense, you boys cooked, I'll tidy everything up." She carried the plates into the kitchen, humming to herself. Yaku went to check the time, his eyes widening. 

"Oh! It's almost nine." He couldn't believe he had been over so long, he had completely lost track. He stood from his seat. "I should probably get going. Thank you for having me over." He bowed to the two of them. Alisa waved him off from the kitchen.

"You're welcome to visit anytime Yaku-san, it was a pleasure having you." She smiled. Lev stood as well. 

"I'll walk you out!" Bidding his sister goodbye once more, Yaku and Lev made their way to the door, the container of leftover stew warm in his hands. Lev walked him out to the street. 

"I'm sorry again, about the impromptu dinner, I know it was a little awkward." Lev said. "My sister is really social and can be a bit much sometimes." Yaku shook his head

"Don't worry about it. It... actually turned out to be really fun, and the stew was really delicious. I'm glad I came, so thank you." Lev's face lit up. 

"And um..." He fiddled with the hem of his shirt, nervous all of a sudden. "About what my sister said, you're free to come over for dinner again sometime." He added quickly "If you want, that is! You don't have to."

"Yeah." Yaku said. "Thank you, I'd like that." His reply calmed Lev down, and he grinned happily. "And... maybe I could have the two of you over for dinner sometime, to repay the gesture."

"I'd like that a lot!" He said happily. They fell silent as they looked at each other, almost as if they were expecting something to happen. The yellow hue of the streetlight reflected in Lev's green eyes, making them almost cat like as he gazed down at him. There was an unusual tenderness in his expression.

"Anyway..." Lev said hesitantly, before he leaned down and wrapped Yaku in a hug. Slowly, he returned it, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his forehead against Lev's shoulder. The soft smell of herbs and spices clung to Lev's body, as well as the distant scent of cologne. Yaku found himself relaxing into the embrace against his own accord. They stood like that for a few long moments, before breaking apart. 

"I'll see you at practice on Monday," Lev said, a sweet smile on his face. It made Yaku's stomach flip. 

"Yeah, see you." 

Yaku turned and began walking home, aware of Lev watching him go. He was glad it was too dark for Lev to see his face, he thought, as he pressed his palm into his warm cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> Me again! 
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed that little oneshot. It's not perfect in my opinion but hey, I had fun writing it and I quite like how it turned out. If you have any constructive criticism or any comments, I'd love to hear them!
> 
> And, not to self promote but if you enjoyed that maybe consider checking out my tumblr! It's fairly new and I don't post Haikyuu-centred content, but if you enjoy some writing-related commentary/advice, lame jokes, poetry and/or potentially some anime reviews/recs (still figuring out what kind of content I wanna make) then consider following me! (Or not, I'm not your mum)
> 
> https://writing-and-bad-decisions.tumblr.com/
> 
> Anyway, have a nice day!


End file.
